Feed-tube for grain-drills.



Patented lune 4, |90I.

W. H. STEVENS.

FEED TUBE FOR GRAIN DRILLS.

[Application led Knr. 21, 1901.)

(No Modal.)

WL L Ixyujiar UNTTnD STATES PATENT GFFICE.

IVILLIAM II. STEVENS, OF LITTLE VALLEY, NEIV YORK.

FEED-TUBE FOR GRAIN-DRILLS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 675,450, dated J une 4,1901.

Application led March 2l, 1901. Serial No. 52,228. (No model.)

T0 @ZZ whom] it may concern:

Be it known that I, VILLIAM II. STEVENS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Little Valley, in the county of Cattaraugus and State of NewYork, have invented a new and useful Feed-Tube for Grain-Drills, ofwhich the following is a specification.

Myinvention is an improved feed-tube for grain-drills for conveying thefertilizer discharged from a plurality of feed-cups to a single drill,thereby concentrating the fertilizer therein, and adapted particularlyfor fertilizing drills as the sameare opened for corn, potatoes, andother crops; and it consists in the peculiar construction andcombination of devices hereinafter fully set forth and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure lis a rear perspective view of agrain-drill of usual construction provided with feed-tubes embodying myimprovements. Fig. 2 is a detail perspective view of one of my improvedfeed-tubes. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of a drill-shoe providedwith a shovel or plow for opening drills for corn, potatoes, and othercrops.

My improved feed-tube lis preferably made of rubber or other suitableflexible material, has a central intake 2 at its upper end, which isadapted to be attached to one of the feedcups of a grain-drill in theusual manner, and is provided at a lower point on opposite sides withintakes 3, in which the lower ends of flexible feed-tubes A, of usualconstruction, which lead from .proximate feed-cups, are adapted to beinserted, whereby the said feed-tubes A may be coupled to my improvedfeed-tube, so that the material discharged from a plurality of thefeed-cups may be conveyed through a single shoe B, of usualconstruction, in which the lower end of my improved feed-tube l isplaced, into a single drill opened by the said shoe, so that fertilizerdischarged from a plurality of the feedcups of the machine may beconcentrated in a single drill. Any desired number of my improvedfeed-tubes may be used on themachine. In Fig. l of the drawings I haveshown the machine provided with two of my improved feed-tubes and with acorresponding number of shoes for opening the drills at a suitabledistance apart for planting corn.

When it is desired to open drills for potatoes and fertilize the same, Iprovide the shoes B, which are operated in connection with my improvedfeed-tubes, With suitable plows or plates C, as shown in Fig. 3. It willbe understood' that potatoes are not dropped by the machine into thedrills nor covered thereby, this usually being done by hoes and thepotatoes being usually dropped by hand. While I have shown my improvedfeed-tube as provided with two lateral intakes 3, it will be understoodthat my improved feed-tube may be provided with any desired number ofsuch intakes.

Having thus described my invention, I claiml. A feed-tubeforgrain-drills having a central intake adapted to be attached to afeedcup, and lateral intakes adapted to be coupled to other feed-tubes,whereby material discharged from a plurality of feed-cups may beconducted to a single drill, substantially as described.

2. A flexible feed-tube for grain-drills hav ing a central intake at itsupper end adapted to be coupled to a grain-drill feed-cup, and lateralintakes at a lower point adapted to be coupled to other feed-tubes, forthe purpose set forth, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

VILLIAM H. STEVENS. lVitnesses:

HARLOW J. CRIssnY, HENRY B. HILTLE..

